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Macron delivers law and order message in New Year's speech | |
(about 11 hours later) | |
French President Emmanuel Macron used his traditional New Year's Eve speech to sound a warning to extreme elements among anti-government protesters. | |
He promised to keep order "without complacency" and decried self-appointed "spokespeople for a hateful mob". | |
At least six people have died and some 1,400 have been injured since protests over fuel tax rises erupted last month. | |
Earlier, in her annual address, Angela Merkel said Germany would play a greater international role in 2019. | |
The German chancellor said that old certainties about international co-operation had "come under pressure", alluding to strained US-German relations, and Germany must "take on more responsibility". | |
What did Macron say exactly? | |
The French President suggested that the anger at the root of the "yellow vest" unrest, so named because of the high-visibility vests worn by protesters, showed France was "not resigned" and wanted to "build a better future". | |
However, without naming them, he went on to condemn extreme elements who sought to speak "in the name of the people". | |
"In fact they are only the spokespeople of a hate-filled mob and they target elected politicians, the security forces, journalists, Jews, foreigners and homosexuals," President Macron said. "It is quite simply the negation of France." | |
Warning French citizens to be wary of fake news, he asked them "not to forget that you can build nothing on lies". | |
The government, he said, should be allowed to continue its work to carry out reforms. | |
"In recent years, we've engaged in a blatant denial of reality," he said. "We can't work less, earn more, cut taxes and increase spending." | |
However, he also accepted that more work must be done to make some citizens feel more valued. | |
As the French leader's speech was broadcast, reports came in of new protests. "Yellow Vests" could be seen gathering on the Champs-Élysées in Paris and setting up camp by the A28 motorway, south of Le Mans, but there were no immediate reports of trouble. | |
How did Merkel see Germany's role? | |
Over the past year, Chancellor Merkel has been a leading defender of multilateralism, in contrast to Mr Trump's America First foreign policy. | Over the past year, Chancellor Merkel has been a leading defender of multilateralism, in contrast to Mr Trump's America First foreign policy. |
The German leader warned that global problems like climate change, migration and terrorism could not be solved alone. | |
"We will only master the challenges of our times if we stick together and collaborate with others across borders," she said. | |
By taking up a temporary seat on the UN Security Council in 2019 and 2020, Germany would push for "global solutions", Ms Merkel said. | By taking up a temporary seat on the UN Security Council in 2019 and 2020, Germany would push for "global solutions", Ms Merkel said. |
Yet while appealing for solidarity and co-operation, she also accepted Germany had a deep political divide and conceded that her government had let down citizens | |
This year, Mrs Merkel averted the near collapse of her coalition government over a migration row, rising out of Germany's acceptance of more than one million migrants and refugees in 2015. | This year, Mrs Merkel averted the near collapse of her coalition government over a migration row, rising out of Germany's acceptance of more than one million migrants and refugees in 2015. |
The chancellor, who will step down in 2021, pledged to increase the country's spending on humanitarian and development aid, and defence. |